Why are eggs so expensive? Your guide to buying budget groceries during inflation

Egg prices are up 38%, but there’s a reason.

According to MarketWatch, a significant reason that eggs are more expensive is due to the avian flu. “The price of eggs has been trending upward since the beginning of 2022, and egg experts said an avian influenza outbreak that has severely limited the supply of eggs was the leading cause of high prices.”

Inflation, of course, continues to plague grocery shoppers and has led to skyrocketing prices. According to Fortune, inflation has gone up by 9.1% in July and then dropped a little in August to 8.5%, but in-store grocery prices have outpaced inflation. Grocery Dive reported that even as inflation has lost steam, grocery prices have spiked 13.1%.

How to save money while grocery shopping

Here are the top four tips for saving money while grocery shopping.

1. Look at what is on sale and plan your meals around that. This will cause you to think outside of the box — are strawberries and chicken both on sale? Make strawberry bruschetta chicken! Is ground turkey on sale? Buy that and a couple of cans of tomatoes, beans, corn and taco seasoning— now you have chili. Let the coupons and sales be your guide of what to eat and adapt accordingly.
2. Think long term. This can be very hard if you are on a budget, but here’s a way to make it more budget friendly. Buy one item in a bigger size each week, depending on if that item is on sale. One week, if chicken is on sale, buy the bigger pack and freeze it. If a 10-pound package of rice is on sale, buy that. Set yourself up for success by accruing staples.
3. Eat more vegetables. Vegetables can be the cheapest thing in the store. Don’t be afraid to buy frozen vegetables — they are just as good! One tip is to cook almost exclusively with frozen vegetables and then buy only certain vegetables fresh, such as ingredients for a salad. Emphasizing vegetables in your diet can help you cut back on meat, which tends to be more expensive.
4. Think about planning meals in terms of components instead of recipes. If chicken is on sale along with some vegetables, buy that and then mix and match throughout the week. Having a couple of good sauces and carbohydrates on hand can dramatically change the flavor profile of a meal. Pasta, chicken and broccoli with tomato sauce tastes different than rice, chicken and broccoli with soy sauce. You can save money if you buy fewer ingredients and repurpose them.